ML20196G969

Forwards 34th Quarterly Status Rept on Emergency Preparedness for Nuclear Power Plants for Oct-Dec 1987. Commission Unable to Forecast Licensing Schedule for Shoreham & Seabrook Because of Unresolved Issues

ML20196G969
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook, 05000000, Shoreham
Issue date:	02/29/1988
From:	Zech L NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
To:	Breaux J SENATE, ENVIRONMENT & PUBLIC WORKS
References
NUDOCS 8803100041
Download: ML20196G969 (6)

Text

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[ ~' '7, UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION h* j WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 e

• .** February 29, 1988 CHAIRMAN The Honorable John B. Breaux, Chairnan Subcomittee er. Nuclear Regulation Comittee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Mr. Chaiman:

I am enclosing NRC's 34th quarterly status report on energency preparedness for nuclear pcwer plants covering the period October 1 to December 31, 1987.

The report has been coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Comission is unable to realistically forecast the licensing schedule for Shoreham and Seabrook because of the energency preparedness issues that remain

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unresolved.

Table 1 notes minor revisions that have occurred in other operating license review schedule dates since our last report to Congress. None of these revi-sions is projected to result in any delays in the licensing process.

Please notify us if you want additional information.

Sincerely, N- s /1.

Lando W. Zech Jr. ( l

Enclosure:

i NRC Quarterly Status Report  !

I cc: The Honorable Alan K. Simpson i

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NRC QUARTERLY STATUS REPORT TO CONGRESS ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS October 1, 1987 to December 31, 1987 The 34th NRC status report to Congress on emergency preparedness for nuclear power plants covers the period October 1 to December 31, 1987.

Tables 1 and 2 of this report provide the status of offsite and onsite emergency planning, respectively, for applicants for an operating license.

Cmunission decision dates are consistent with those reported to the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcconittee on Energy and Water Development.

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December 31, 1987 Table 1 Status of Offsite Emergency Preparedness Operating License Reviews Date of Potential Estimated FEMA Offsi3eEP FEMA Finding Delay Start of 4 Comissign Facility Finding 1 Needed (Months) Hearings Decision South Texas C C 0 C 2/88*

Watts Bar C C 0 None .

Comanche Peak C C 0 C .

6 6 6 Seabrook C* .

C .

Shoreham Total Potential Offsite Emergency Preparedness Delay: -6, 7

• Change from previous report.

. Not scheduled.

Notes:

1 C = complete; i.e., FEMA Findings have been provided. Where a date is given in parentheses, supplemental infonnation to FEMA Findings previously provided is expected on that date. FEMA Findings on offsite emergency preparedness are not required to issue a license authorizing fuel loading and operation up to 5 percent of rated power.

C = complete; i.e., FEMA Findings have been provided. Where a date is given, it is the date by which the FEMA Findings must be provided to meet the proposed Comission Decision date.

3The delay is caused by offsite emergency preparedness issues. This delay is in addition to angr' delays estimated in the report to the House Appropriations Subcomittee on Energy and Water Development.

4 C = complete; i.e., a hearing has started.

SC = com)lete; dates are consistent with those reported to the House Appropria-tions Su)comittee on Energy and Water Development. For plants for which construction is complete, the dates shown are for full-power licensing. For the other plants, the dates are those by which the NRC needs the information to act on authorization for fuel loading and low-power operations.

6New Hampshire formally submitted energency plans to FEMA in December 1985; the latest revision (Revision 2) was submitted in September 1986. On December 12, 1986, FEMA forwarded its report on Revision 2 of the New Hampshire State and

l V Table 1 (Continued) local plans to the State. On June 4, 1987, FEMA provided its position on outstanding contentions in the proceeding which included a determination that reasonable assurance of adequate protective actions did not currently exist for the Seabrook beach population. Hearings on the New Hampshire plans began on October 5, 1987. Activities regarding the emergency response plans for Massachusetts are on the critical path for licensing. On September 20, 1986, the Governor of Massachusetts announced that he will not submit emergency plans for that part of the emergency planning zone (EPZ) in Massachusetts because he does not believe adequate protective measures can be developed for that area.

On October 17, 1986, Seabrook was issued a license to load fuel and conduct precriticality testing. On January 4,1987, the Comission stayed the issuance of a low-power license. On April 9,1987, the Comission stated that, pending further Comission review, a low-power license cannot be issued until an offsite emergency plan is submitted. On September 18, 1987, the licensee submitted a utility offsite plan for Massachusetts and, on September 21, requested that the Comission lif t its stay of tne low-power license. On November 25, 1987, the Comission lifted the stay on the issuance of a low-power license. The Licensing Board, in an order issued on December 2,1987, stated that it would make a determination whether it is appropriate for the Board to reauthorize low-power operations prior to the completion of the remand proceeding on non-emergency preparedness issues. On February 3, 1988, the Appeal Board remanded the issue of the public alert and notification system in Massachusetts to the Licensing Board for further proceedings. (The  !

Massachusetts towns in the EPZ are in the process of removin0 the emergency notification sirenstofollowing)a statutory authority do so. Oncourt decision October that 29, 1987, theitComission is withinapproved their ,

a final rule clarifying the requirements and standards for the evaluation of a utility emergency plan in the absence of state and local participation.

The NRC has forwarded the utility offsite emergency plan for Massachusetts to FEMA for review. A schedule is being developea by NRC and FEMA for review of the plan, exercise of the offsite plan for Massachusetts, and litigation of the plan. The time needed for resnlution of offsite emergency planning issues will delay issuance of a full-power license. Until the schedule is firmly developed, the length of the delay cannot be estimated.  !

7 0n August 26, 1985, the Licensing Board for emergency planning for Shoreham issued a concluding partial initial decision finding that because of LILC0's inability to implement its offsite emergency response plan and because the l State and county refused to cooperate, a full-power license may not be issued for Shoreham. On October 18, 1985, the Appeal Board upheld the Licensing Board's decision that LILCO does not have the legal authority to implement its offsite emergency plan. On July 24, 1986, the Commission ordered further hearings on the "realism" and "materiality" arguments, presuming that the State and county would actually participate in a real emergency. These hearings have not been scheduled as yet. On June 11, 1987, the Comission decided to reopen the record On on the 6, November agreement with a radic station to broadcast emergency information.

1987, the Conuission upheld the Appeal Board's remand of the evacuation plans for hospitals in the EPZ and reversed the Appeal Board's remand of two contentions regarding the expansion of the EPZ. Hearings on exercise-related contentions and on the adequacy of the relocation centers concluded on

Table 1 (Continued) June 18, 1987 and July 30, 1987, respectively. On December 7, 1987, the Licensing Board issued a Partial Initial Decision which stated that the exercise did not meet the requirements of a full participation exercise because ,

of the failure to test certain functions. On February 1, 1988, the same  !

Licensing Board issued an Initial Decision finding that the exercise demonstrated the existence of several fundamental flaws in the LILC0 Plan. On January 22, 1988, the utility submitted a revised emergency plan for Shoreham, and NRC has forwarded the revised plan to FEMA for review. A schedule is being developed by NRC and FEMA for the review, exercise, and litigation of the revised plan. The time needed for resolution of offsite emergency planning issues will delay issuance of a full power license. Until the schedule is firmly developed, the length of the delay cannot be estimated with any assurance of accuracy, but a preliminary estimate of the schedule for a Licensing Board decision is Spring 1989.

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- December 31, 1987 Table 2 Status of Onsite Emergency Preparedness Operating License Reviews States Within Onsite 1 2 Comissign Facility 10-Mile EPZ Appraisal Exercise Decision South Texas TX C C 2/88*

Watts Bar TN C C .

Comanche Peak TX C C .

4 Seabrook NH, MA C 5

Shoreham NY C C .

• Change from previous report to Congress.

. Not scheduled.

Notes:

I C = complete; starting date for 2-week onsite emergency preparedness appraisal.

C = complete; full-participation exercise of applicant, State, and supporting i local government to demonstrate preparedness.

3 C = complete; dates are consistent with those reported to the House Appropria-tions Subcomittee on Energy and Water Development.

4 Exercise of applicant's onsite and offsite plans for New Hampshire only; a remedial exercise is to be scheduled, and an exercise of the offsite plans for Massachusetts will be necessary.

5 Exercise of applicant's onsite and offsite plans.

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